Monday Morning Motherhood: “Not quite Wonder Woman, but close”
About a week ago, I was driving to pick up my daughter from daycare, when I saw one of the other mothers walking down the street in the same direction. I rolled down my window to ask if I could give her a lift to the center, and as I opened my mouth to call her name, I realized I had absolutely no idea what it was. We talk rather frequently since our kids are in the same class, see each other just about every day, and even stood in a group picture of moms at the holiday party. Still, I had no clue what her name was — to me, she was simply “Brett's mom.– Fortunately for me, she didn't know my name either, calling me “Grace's mom– as she climbed in the car. After a long-overdue re-introduction and a short chat about our kids, I realized something: this is what happens when you become a parent — you gain a child and a whole new identity. Of course, it would absolutely rock if this one came with magic bracelets and lasso of truth.
Parenting is a daunting task and then some. I'm pretty sure nothing else has scared the crap out of me as much as becoming a mom. Life is good, going smoothly and then — bam. Guess what? You, my good friend, get to be in charge of a whole person. Oh yes, the same you that did keg-stands in college, was stupid enough to do 20 shots of tequila on her 20th birthday, and took her SATs on 45 minutes of sleep. Talk about bone-cracking pressure, baby (no pun intended). Not only are you responsible for their basic physical and material needs, such as food, clothes and shelter, but you're accountable for all the other stuff too — like shoe-tying and teaching them to whistle, for instance. Raising a respectful, intelligent, good human being is a heck of a lot harder than you ever dreamed it could be, and you worry about pretty much everything. What crosses their path is up to you (at least for a little while) and what you teach them shapes the person they become. At one point I worried that watching WKRP in Cincinnati during 3 AM feedings would scar her intellect. While I'm pretty sure it didn't, it still occasionally crosses my mind. The thought of Loni Anderson rattling around in that little head of hers worries me a bit. To be honest, I always preferred Jan Smithers.
Unlike so-called “Monday Morning Quarterbacks,– this column won't tell you a bunch of what you could of and should of. As parents, we receive a ton of unsolicited “advice– and instruction as it is from family members and even random people on the street (seriously, enough with the freaking advice already). Instead, this column will give you simple tips on how to be a more socially progressive parent, and expand your knowledge on issues that affect parents and citizens of this great country. Maybe, if we're lucky, my column will even persuade you to get involved.
So, until next Monday, here's to motherhood, and all that comes with it.
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